Clothes drying, blocking, or stretching device



Oct. 29, 1946. A. s. PARKER, JR I 2,410,230

CLOTHES DRYING, BLOCKING, 6R STRETCHING DEVICE.

Filed July 24, 1945 Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Q I 2,410,230 l CLOTHES DRYING, BLOCKING, R STRETCHING DEVICE Alvin Scott Parker, Jr., High Point, N. 0. Application July 24, 1945, Serial llo. 606,814

My-invention relates to a clothes drying,

stretching or blocking device.

' An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is well adapted for drying, stretching or blocking sweaters. s

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character having arms which, when adjusted to one position, will serve as long arms and when adjusted to another position, will serve as short arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is extremely simple in construction, cheap to manufacture and easy to adjust.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drying, stretching or blocking device embodying my invention, the arms being shifted to the long-arm position,

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the arms shifted to the short-arm position,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device showing the arms shifted to the short-arm position, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed section taken on line B--6 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral [0 designates a body portion, shaped to correspond to the contour of the body portion of a sweater or othergarment. This body portion has a reduced waist l l, shoulders l2 and a neck 13'. This neck hasan opening M for receiving a suspension element. The body portion i2 is preferably in the form of a fiat sheet and may be made of laminated wood, cardboard, plastics or other suitable material.

The numeral l4 designates full-length arms, which are pivotally mounted upon the shoulders I2 by pivot elements or rivets l3, disposed near the upstanding edges of the body portion. The ends of each pivot element or rivet l3 are preferably counter-sunk, so that they will not catch in the sweater or garment applied to the device, nor stop the swinging movement of the arm. This is clearly shown in Figure 6. These arms M are 4 Claims. (Cl. 22369) disposed upon opposite faces of the body portion H). The arms I 4 preferably taper outwardly, forming wrists l5. The arms M'arepreferably in the form of flat sheets and are preferably made of laminated wood, cardboard, plastics or the like. The arms are preferably integral and the body'portion and arms are stiff. The arms Mare-considerably longer than the width of the top portion of the body portion adjacent to the pivots, to project beyond such body portion, when crossing the body portion. 1 "-When a long-sleeved sweater is'to be dried, stretched or blocked, the arms [4 may be swung upwardly to generally vertical positions, and these arm inserted intothe sleeves of the sweater, and the body portion of the sweater moved downwardly upOn the body portion I0, while the arms H are swung to the horizontal position. Each arm I4 now extends outwardly beyond the upstanding edge of the body portion for the major portion of its length. The pivot elements or rivets l3 hold the arms in clamping engagement with the shoulders l2, so that the arms will remain in the selected adjusted position, by frictional engagement between the arms and the body portion, but permitting these arms to be manually swung upon their pivots, in planes parallel with the faces of the body portion Hi.

When the device is used to dry, stretch or block short-sleeved sweaters, each arm is arranged across the face of the body portion, in the shortarm position, and then projects beyond the upstanding edge of the body portion, remote from the pivot of the arm, This is rendered possible because the'arms are arranged upon opposite faces of the body portion l0 and are longer than the width of the body portion, adjacent to the pivots. The counter-sinking of the pivots I3 also permits of the free swinging movement of the arms. In applying a short-sleeved sweater to the device, the arms l4 may be raised to upstanding inclined positions, and will then cross each other. These arms are inserted into the sleeves of the sweater and the body portion of the sweater is moved down upon the body portion III, while the arms are moved to the horizontal position. The arms I4 may first be horizontally arranged in the short-arm position, and the body portion of the sweater passed upwardly over the lower ends of the body portion l0 and the sleeves of the sweater are then applied to the arms M, by stretching the garment.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and

that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device for drying, stretching or blocking a garment, such-as-a sweater or the like, comprising a body portion, arms arranged upon the opposite faces of the body portion, means permanently pivotally connecting the arms with the body portion, the arms being longer than the width of the body portion adjacent to the pivot means, the arrangement being such that the arms may be swung outwardly to a long-arm position, or across the body portion to a short-arm position.

2. A device for drying, stretching or blocking a garment, such as a sweater or the like, comprising a body portion, arms arranged upon the opposite faces of the body portion, and pivot elements permanently connecting the arms and body portion, the pivot elements being arranged near the upper end of the body portion and near the upstanding edges of the body portion, the pivot elements having their ends adjacent to the opposite faces of the body portion counter-sunk so that the arms will notengage therewith when being swung with relation to the body portion, the arms being longer than the width of the body portionadjacent to the pivot elements, the arrangement being such that the arms may be swung outwardly to a long-arm position, or across thebody portion to a short-arm position,

-3.- A device for drying, stretching orblocking a garment, such as a sweater or the like, compris-i ing a flat body portion having upstanding edges, flat arms arranged upon the opposite faces of the body portion. a single pivot element connecting each arm with the upper portion of the body portion so that the arm can swing substantially parallel with the body portion, the single pivot element providing suflicient friction to hold the arm in the adjusted long and short arm position and having its end remote from the arm not extending beyond the adjacent face of the body portion, pivot elements being arranged near the upstanding edges of the body portion, the arms being longer than the width of the upper portion of the body portion, the arrangement being such that the arms may be swung outwardly to a long-arm position, or across the body portion to a short-arm position.

4. A device for drying, stretching or blocking a garment, such as a sweater or the like, comprising a flat body portion having shoulders and a waist, flat arms arranged upon theopposite faces of the body portion and contacting with such faces, and pivot elements permanently connecting the arms with the shoulders, the pivot elements efiecting a clamping engagement between the faces of the bOdy portion and arms so that the arms will be held by frictional engagement with the body portion in a selected adjusted position, the arms being longer than-the width of the body portion adjacent to the shoulders, the arrangement being such that the arms may be swung outwardly to a long-arm position, or across the body portion to ashort-arm position.

ALVIN-SCOTT PARKER, J R. 

